EFTA Pinnacle MTB Race Team Report - 7-14-08
2008 EFTA Pinnacle 7/13 – MTB Race Team Report
Conditions:
Warm, sunny and dry!
The Course:
A 5 mile loop with three distinct sections; 1/3 continual climbing, 1/3 “pump track” (small ups & downs around tree root balls boulders, and 1/3 descending. The starts were combined age divisions and each class had a mass start around a football field and then into a double-wide trail ascending to the ski jump. This years course was reworked to take out Coit Hill, a short but steep climb, and some effort was made to “soften” the climbing though it wasn’t noticed by anyone.
Results:
Cris Rothfuss – Expert Vet – 1st
Keith Reynolds – Expert Sr2 – 3rd
Nolan Watts – Expert Vet2 – 5th
Libby White – Expert Jr – dnf
Oscar Jiminez – Sport Sr2 – 6th
Reports:
[Cris]
The Expert race started en masse – women and men together. I decided to just follow the guys’ flow and see what happened. Initially, it felt like a thundering cross start, with bodies banging. No problems there and kinda fun. By the time we hit the double and then single track, I had settled into a line of guys that was riding a pace that was decent, but within my control. I didn’t feel inside out like I have early on in some of these XC races. I decided to go with it, hoping that riding a more measured pace over the course of the upcoming 2 hours would leave me feeling strong at the end. There was only one other woman in the Expert race and I knew that I would have an advantage over her for the first 2 miles of the race, which were nearly unrelentingly uphill. The strategy seemed to work. I felt under control the first lap, felt really opened up and fast the second lap, and even though I started to tire for sure on the third lap, felt better at the end by far than in previous races. The course was quite a bit of fun, except for the Plummet, which I found disturbing each time down. One random race note.
There was one small section of singletrack that I didn’t pre-ride. It
contained a difficult piece that consisted of turning 90 degrees directly onto a 2 foot drop-off directly onto a somewhat narrow, elevated wooden bridge. The penalty for failure was high. It was more thorny than a bridge Cathy and I routinely refuse to ride in the PR (despite being fully capable of doing so). At race pace, and without knowing it was coming, I hit the turn, drop-off and bridge perfectly.
And said a private “oh @*#%” immediately afterwards, mainly because I knew I had to do it again next lap without the bliss of ignorance. That feat was accomplished again, however, which may have been more satisfying even than winning the race.
[Keith] Before the start a fellow friend & competitor, Jelly Belly (Jamie), had a problem with his rear derailer that I thought I could help. I ended up missing the start by 20/30 seconds and was the last finisher to begin. By the time the field (mass start, hey that’s new!) made it around the football field and starting the climb I connected mid-pack and settled in. The rest of the race I was trying to make up positions but was often stuck in single file trail. I was glad to not have any mechanicals nor did I have any tubes wrapped around my shoulder like last year. There was lots of good single track and a lengthy downhill
that was so much fun- but I need to work on getting my descending speed UP. The climbing seemed endless but that’s where I made the majority of my spots up on guys. Pre-race I was thinking I had recovered from Fitchburg and wanted to shoot for another top 10 overall, but now looks like a few further out than that. The leaders were a good 10 minutes ahead by the end but the excitement for me was all in the last few miles. I was tailing an Expert Vet through the technical descent and through the ski jump area I took the lead and pushed hard in the remaining quarter mile to get him off my wheel but he wouldn’t budge as it came down to a sprint finish. I was able to hold the lead by a second or two. Heading to Mt.Snow this weekend to race Nationals where I’ll line up with Gary Douville.. will he turn pro already?!
[missing for commentary…..]
Oscar: I think everyone that walked by Oscar noticed the grin on his face first and then the shiny new bike. He got some scrapes from a couple of feisty saplings during the long descent but that didn’t change the mood. He sounds determined to work on technical skills – particularly the descending as the climbing seems to be just fine. No matter what Oscar enjoyed the trails and the race atmosphere.Nolan also had a good run out there – enjoying the descending and single track. And we’re all fans of the dry courses.
Libby had a mechanical on the first lap but was hanging in the middle of the expert field during the first climb and looking strong.